Jessica's Phone Call
by NoMoreThanUsual
Summary: The night Edward saved Bella in Port Angeles, Jessica called Bella's home and was surprised when Bella was home to answer Twilight p194. If Jessica didn't think Bella was home, exactly who WAS Jessica calling? "Mean Girls" Twilight style. Jessica's POV
1. Chapter 1

**Jessica's Phone Call**

(Jessica's POV)

* * *

Many thanks to Stephenie Meyer for letting me play with her toys for a little while. I, of course, own nothing. They are all hers. The dialogue at the end of this story is directly from Twilight, Chapter 9.

* * *

"I don't know, Jess," Angela said doubtfully.

"Oh come on!" I replied scornfully. "Bella absolutely DID plan to meet up with Edward Cullen. Look at the facts. She came all the way to Port Angeles and doesn't buy anything. She insists on going to the "bookstore" ALONE. Bella has been staring at Edward Cullen since Day 1. And she just happens to run into him here? In a town the size of Port Angeles? And he just happens to decide to take her out to dinner and drive her home? I'm sure!" I snickered. "Oh she planned it all right. And WE'RE her cover story for her dad."

Angela was shaking her head. "I don't know. Bella just doesn't seem to be like that. She's so nice."

"Oh you're so naïve, Angela. Bella Swan is flirting with most of the boys at school – including Tyler (Lauren's new love) and my date to the dance and your date to the dance and most definitely Edward Cullen!"

Angela just pressed her lips together, not arguing out loud anymore but clearly disagreeing.

Thankfully we were just pulling up to her house.

"OK. Bye then," I told her as I stopped the car. _Time to get out, Angela_. Just because Angela was too much of a goodie-two-shoes to plan something like this didn't mean Bella hadn't planned it. Angela could be just so . . . thick.

"Oh. Well, thank you for driving, Jessica. I had a great time and it was nice to have someone to help choose my dress."

"Uh hunh." _Yeah whatever. Get out_. I looked out of the driver side window to make sure she understood the night was o-ver.

Angela sighed and reached into the back seat to collect her shopping bags. "Oh," she said in surprise. "Bella forgot her coat." She held it for a moment as we both stared at it in surprise.

"I'll take it and give it to her tomorrow morning," Angela said.

"No," I snapped, grabbing the jacket from her hands. "I'll give it back to her." Hmm. This could work out nicely. I looked up to find Angela staring at me in surprise. "So goodnight," I told her to remind her to get out.

With a final sigh, Angela opened the door and got out. I pulled out of her driveway before she had gotten to her front door.

Good. Now I could finally think, without her incessant . . . ugh whatever. She was just so goody-good, I could puke.

So, Bella had arranged a secret meeting with Edward Cullen. That girl had some nerve. I clearly had first dibs on that man. I mean, I saw him first. In fact, when he and his family moved here two years ago, I had bent over backwards to try to make him feel welcome, to make sure he knew he had a place at Forks (right beside me) . . . so he wouldn't be lonely, of course. But he was ungrateful. He hadn't given me the time of day! He was such a snob.

But at least he didn't date anyone else either. I snickered as I remembered when I had come to the conclusion that he was waiting for his dad to adopt him a sister for him to date. Ha. Like a mail order bride. Maybe the postman was too slow. Ha.

But the smile slipped off my face as I remembered he was with Bella right now. Hmph. She had nerve!

What a tramp. First she made eyes at Eric and Mike, then Tyler. And now Edward was interested in her. Damn that bitch.

What was so special about her anyways? Clearly I was better looking. I mean, everyone knew that.

So why were the guys so interested in her? What was it about Bella Swan?

Then it dawned on me. She must have told Edward she'd put out. Sure! That made sense. What else about her could interest a man like him?

How shocking! I smiled with delight. I mean, the Chief of Police's daughter behaving like that! How embarrassing for him! Some detective he was. Yup, he was right on top of things! I snickered again. Well, I could fix that.

Really, it was wrong of Bella to put sweet Angela Weber and me in a position of having to cover for her. That just wasn't right.

And while I would never condone snitching under normal circumstances, clearly I had to take the higher road in this. Someone had to be the responsible one. As one of the leaders in my school, the responsibility fell squarely on my shoulders. I smiled to myself. Yes, making sure Chief Swan knew where his daughter was is clearly my responsibility.

Now how to go about it? I could drive by and drop off her jacket and explain to him how she forgot it in my car before leaving with Edward Cullen.

However I was just approaching my own house. Why drive all the way back to Bella's house when a phone call could achieve the same results? Plus then she'd have to see me tomorrow to get her coat back. I'm sure she was dying to dish the details out to me.

Oh, I'd better make it sound like an accident that Chief Swan found out – like it just slipped out. That way after I apologized (very sincerely of course), she wouldn't be mad at me and we could chat about everything that was going on.

I practiced what I'd say to Chief Swan. "Hello. May I speak with Bella? This is Jessica. . . She's not back yet? Oh dear . . . well . . . Could you please let her know that I have her jacket and not to worry . . . Isn't she with me? . . . Well, you see, sir, oh dear, no, she's not with me right now. She didn't come home with me." Something like that. I'd improvise. I could sound very sincere when I improvised.

I paused for a moment, after I parked in my driveway. Was I being conniving about this? Hmmm. I thought about that as I tapped my lips with my finger. After catching my reflection in the rear view mirror, I decided the pensive look made me look even prettier.

No, I wasn't being conniving at all. Bella was. I was just being . . . dutiful. A dutiful friend to Bella by making sure her dad knew enough to keep her safe at home from now on and by being a friend she could confide in afterwards. Yes, I was definitely a good person. She was lucky to know me.

I got out of my Mercury and retrieved my bags from the back. Then as I entered my house, it occurred to me that while I was being a great friend to Bella and had been since her first day, she had betrayed me.

I mean, everyone knew that Edward Cullen was mine. I was the obvious choice. I was the prettiest in school and I was well connected and everyone loved me. I'd be a perfect doctor's wife (because it was obvious that Edward would be a doctor, like his father). As soon as he realized who it was he needed to complete his life, I'd be there for him. My Edward.

And in the meantime, there was Mike. Mike was popular enough for me to go out with. And Bella shouldn't be trying to attract him either!

I was double betrayed!

And here she was making eyes at my Edward. How dare she!

Suddenly I couldn't get the image out of my mind. Edward was kissing her right now, running his fingers through her hair, pulling her closer . . . That's it! I'm calling her dad!

I picked up the phone and dialed her number.

"Hello?"

"Bella?" I asked. What the . . . ?

"Hey, Jess, I was just going to call you."

"You made it home?" So she wasn't still with him. That was fast. They didn't even have time to eat dinner, what with the hour-long drive home. Maybe things didn't go so well between them. Maybe he saw through her to the skank that she was. Maybe seeing me at the restaurant reminded him of how good I looked, how good things could be with me. Maybe he was thinking about me right now . . .

"Yes. I left my jacket in your car – could you bring it to me tomorrow?"

Her jacket?! Who cares about her jacket! I needed to know what happened. Did he dump her already? I couldn't wait to tell Lauren. "Sure," I agreed quickly. "But tell me what happened!"

"Um, tomorrow – in Trig, okay?"

Oh yeah. Her dad was right there, of course. She wasn't going to say anything interesting in front of him. I played dumb. "Oh, is your dad there?"

"Yes, that's right." She sounded relieved that I got it.

Fine. I'd let it go for now. But she was sooo going to spill everything to me tomorrow. I couldn't wait to get the dirt from her.

"Okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow then. Bye!"

"Bye, Jess," she answered.

As I hung up the pone, I started to plan who I would tell first tomorrow. Lauren would certainly be interested. Hmmm. So would Mike. I smiled as I pictured his face when he found out Bella had gone out with Edward Cullen.

Ooooo this was going to be fun. I couldn't wait!


	2. Chapter 2 The Morning After

**Jessica's Phone Call **

**Chapter 2 – The Morning After**

* * *

_**Disclaimer**__: I don't own Edward. Dammit. I don't even own Jessica. Not that I would want to... _

_**Author's Note:**_ I am so pleasantly surprised at how many people have read and reviewed this story. I thought for sure this little story in Jessica's POV would be of little interest to anyone but me. Thank you for all the kind reviews! You guys are great!

KlutzLikeBella has been wonderful, yet again, in reading and improving this story. She's really an awesome lady! Thanks sooo much, KLB. You're amazing! If you haven't seen her work, you really need to check it out! She's an amazing writer!

Also, BlondieakaRobin, thank you too for beta-ing this. Your ongoing encouragement has been so motivating! Thanks!

* * *

**Jessica's POV**

I arrived at school extra early the morning after our shopping trip to Port Angeles. I had spent more time than usual in getting ready, knowing I would be the center of attention and wanting to be sure to look my best.

The school parking lot was nearly empty when I arrived; the only other car in sight belonged to Mr. Christie, the janitor. Before getting out, I took another moment to look at myself in the mirror. I pulled a few curls back into place and . . . Perfect! I grabbed my schoolbag and Bella's coat and got out of the car.

I looked around trying to decide where the best spot would be for me to hold court. I wanted to be sure I was highly visible this morning, and I wanted to see everyone as they arrived. There were certain people I wanted to talk to before first period. At the top of that list was Bella. She was_ so_ going to dish on what happened last night. Keeping her jacket had been a stroke of genius. .

I also wanted to see Lauren and Mike. I couldn't wait to tell them about Bella, for completely different reasons. Lauren really didn't like Bella and she'd die to know she missed catching Bella and Edward together. I snorted. I hoped her grandma's birthday party had been worth her missing our shopping trip. It was going to _kill_ her when she found out what she missed. I giggled at the thought.

I wanted to tell Mike so he would keep his attention where it belonged – on me – and stop swooning after Bella Swan. He was dating _me_ after all. Once he found out she'd met with Edward Cullen, he'd want nothing to do with her - which was _perfect_!

Of course, I was dying to see Edward this morning as well. I couldn't wait to see his face and analyze his actions and words. Would I be able to read in him what happened last night and what could cause their date to end so soon? Maybe he regretted his decision to meet with Bella. Would I be able to read that in his eyes? I'd be watching him very closely today. Reading people was definitely one of my strengths.

Unfortunately for my desire to see and be seen, a heavy thick fog had rolled in sometime in the night. It would be impossible to see all the sidewalks from the parking lot to the school buildings. I decided the best place for me to wait would be by the school cafeteria. I knew it was on Bella's way to her first period English class and I knew that I could catch Mike there too, since he had English with Bella. Lauren would probably come this way on her way to Spanish. It was just Edward that didn't need to come by the cafeteria. I'd just have to see him later. I didn't mind spending the extra time tracking him down and it wasn't like I hadn't done it before. I had his school schedule memorized. I smiled to myself.

Making the best of the fog situation, I moved to my chosen spot outside the cafeteria to wait.

* * *

I stood watching the student body arrive. When I saw someone influential, I waved and smiled warmly. When they passed closely enough, I signaled them over and whispered suggestions to them to pay attention to Edward and Bella today. I hinted that there was a secret I knew that no one else was aware of yet.

I was very careful not to overplay my hand. After all, I didn't really _know_ what had gone on, but I was certain that _something_ had happened last night between those two. I was determined to find out exactly what that was before first period today. I'd be damned if Lauren or any one else would scoop my insider story.

So I played with the information I had and worked it to my best advantage. I made sure I was the center of attention, which is exactly as it should be.

Spotting Amy Gardiner, one of the senior cheerleaders, I called to her, "Hey Amy."

She smirked and shot me a look that said I was overstepping my position by actually speaking to her. _Stuck up bitch_. I'd show her who had _real_ power at this school.

"Have you heard about Edward Cullen and Bella Swan?" I asked her in a loud whisper when she and her friends got close enough for them all to hear me.

She frowned. "No. What about them?"

Her friends stopped talking to listen to me.

I arched my eyebrows at her. "Oh well, I really shouldn't say too much. I mean they want to keep it all hush hush. But . . . uh... I suggest you keep your eyes open today. It'll be interesting." I shot her a superior smile.

"No way! Edward Cullen and Bella Swan?" she gasped.

_Hunh_, I smirked, _you're not too good to talk to me now, are you, Amy? _

Her circle of friends hung on my every word too.

I played coy. "Oh I'm not saying anything more. Just keep your eyes open and you'll see."

"But Edward Cullen doesn't go out with anyone," she objected. I knew she was thinking of the times she'd thrown herself at him and he'd turned her down. Just like he'd turned down every girl in this school… _Rejection is harsh, isn't it, Amy? _There were no secrets at this school.

"Well, that Bella's pretty cute." Evan Parker, one of Amy's friends, spoke up.

His comment earned him glares from every female in the group.

He backtracked quickly. "What? I'm just saying . . . you know . . . there's something about her . . . she's not _my_ type of course . . . not like you are, baby," he blundered on, trying to make up for his verbal mistake by putting his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. She shook him off angrily.

I hid my smirk. It was so good to be at the center of it all. It was fascinating how one bit of information led to so many other revelations.

As Amy's group wandered away still discussing my news, I turned back to scan the parking lot.

Right then, a cherry red convertible pulled in and parked. I could hear music blaring inside the car – the sound carried eerily in the foggy air. Although I'd never seen that car before, it wasn't hard to guess that it was the Cullens. What other teenager in Forks could afford a car like that?

I waited eagerly for my first look at Edward since last night. The music cut off and the car doors opened. Rosalie was driving. Figures, she'd pick a car like that. Show off.

Emmett, Jasper and Alice stepped out too. They shut the doors and coupled up to walk towards the school buildings.

What the . . . ? Where was Edward? Was he skipping today? Why? Why why why? It was all so confusing. What was going on? I struggled to make sense of this newest piece of information. Bella came home early from their date last night. Edward wasn't in today. What did it all _mean?_

Alice and Jasper were walking up the sidewalk in front of Emmett and Rosalie. Alice held Jasper's arm and leaned in against him as they walked. I could see her whispering to him quietly, but couldn't make out the words at all.

I couldn't help staring at them as they came closer. Jasper was so beautiful, with his blond hair and hot body. Wow. What I wouldn't like to do to that man. I let my imagination run for a moment to one of my favorite fantasies involving Jasper, me and a deserted beach. Actually, more often than not, it was Edward who starred in my fantasies, but, hey, who could blame me with the incredible Jasper right before my eager eyes? I took a moment to mentally help him out of that sweater he was wearing.

Just then, his eyes met mine. His teeth clicked together and he clenched his jaw. He looked kind of repulsed. His hand reached to cover Alice's hand on his arm and he held her hand tightly.

Alice's eyes flicked over to me in irritation. She pressed her lips into a thin line and narrowed her eyes at me. Leaning into Jasper, she steered them off the sidewalk that lead to the cafeteria where I waited and across the grass in another direction.

Just then, Emmett laughed loudly. Rosalie leaned in to whisper to him. He chortled again, and then put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her tightly to him. They quickly followed Alice and Jasper across the grass, avoiding my position under the eaves.

What did _I _do? No, wait. There was no way this was about me. I didn't _say_ anything. I must have missed something earlier. Maybe Alice and Jasper were already arguing before they got to school. One could only hope.

I made a mental note to keep my eye on that couple as well. A little trouble in paradise would work out nicely on so many levels. Once again, I'd be the first to know and that would definitely enhance my reputation for knowing everything. And let's be honest, a single Jasper? My God, think of the possibilities. I'd be first in line to help him get over Alice.

Smirking I returned to scanning the students coming into school, searching mainly for any sign of Edward or Bella, but also the others on my priority list.

When I spotted Mike, I waved to him shyly, in a flirty way. I really did like Mike. He was good looking and popular. He was a good guy and he'd certainly do until I got someone better.

He came up to me and I looked at him from under my eye lashes. "Hey Mike."

"Morning, Jess. How was Port Angeles?"

"We had a great time. It's so nice of you to ask," I cooed at him.

I flirted with him for a bit. I didn't spend all this time getting dressed this morning for it to go to waste without the guy I like noticing me. I played with my finger against my lips as much as possible. It was, after all, Flirting Rule Number One – 'Any attention you can draw to your mouth is a good thing'. It worked, of course. I completely wowed him; he couldn't take his eyes off me.

Finally he excused himself saying, "Sorry, I've got to go, Jess. I have a paper due today for Mr. Mason and I have to finish it up before first period."

I smiled sweetly at him. "Sure, Mike. I'll see you later."

Then as if an afterthought occurred to me, I turned back to him and said "By the way, make sure to watch Edward Cullen and Bella Swan today."

"What? Why?"

"Just watch. You'll see." I stated as if I already knew what to expect. It was vital to my image to seem to know everything.

"Seriously, Jess, why?" He looked concerned. That wasn't good. He was supposed to be interested in me, not worried about Bella.

Feeling a bit vindictive towards Bella, I flashed him a knowing smirk and insinuated more than I had with other people. "Because I _know_ where Edward and Bella were last night."

He looked shocked. Then disbelief replaced his shock on his face.

That really annoyed me. Just then I saw Lauren across the school grounds. Perfect timing. I wanted to leave Mike wanting more, so I batted my eyelashes at him again and shot him a seductive look, before turning to wave to Lauren.

"Lauren" I called enthusiastically. She was walking away from me, towards Building 4. I jumped in place and waved to her to catch her attention.

Lauren looked over at me and waved before turning back to continue her way to class. I pouted a bit with disappointment.

Then I snorted. Well, it was her loss. If she didn't want to walk over to me, then she could just go through the morning with _no clue_ as to what she'd missed. I sure wouldn't be hunting _her_ down to find out what kind of cake Grandma had. I snorted again. Maybe if she were lucky, I'd tell her the _real_ news at lunch. Maybe I'd also tell her that Tyler was _not _taking Bella to prom. Then again, I'd have to see how I felt by that time. I just might hold onto that fact for a while longer.

I was very surprised to see Edward's Volvo pull into the parking spot beside Rosalie's beamer. Well, what was this then? The family was traveling separately now. What brought this on? They _never_ drove to school separately.

Imagine my astonishment when the passenger door opened as well and Bella stepped out. Bella was in Edward's car?!

They walked together towards me, staying very close to each other, but not touching. Their posture showed more than friendship. Then I noticed that she was wearing his jacket. I was positive that it was his because I'd ogled him in it many times before.

Bella Swan was wearing Edward Freaking Cullen's jacket! I'd sell my soul to wear his jacket - or any of his other clothes, for that matter. My god! So what did that mean? Where they officially dating now? Still secretly dating? If they were dating, why had Bella gone home so quickly last night?

I couldn't hide my shock at seeing them together, even when they were practically in front of me. My mind scrambled to put all the pieces of this confusing puzzle together. But one thing was clear – Edward Cullen and Bella Swan were definitely an item!

"Hey, Jessica," Bella called. "Thanks for remembering."

Remembering? Remembering what? Oh her jacket. I handed it to her automatically.

"Good morning, Jessica," Edward greeted me in his silky voice.

I'm not sure if it was his voice or his beautiful bedroom eyes or the way his sweater clung to his perfect body, but my brain went into overdrive and fried.

I tried to answer him. Sadly my fried brain was no help at all. "Er . . . hi" was the best I came up with.

To collect my thoughts, I looked over at Bella. She was staring at Edward with a dreamy look in her own eyes. Not that I could blame her. He was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen.

And seeing her look at him like that, I wondered again about their relationship. Obviously she was attracted to him. Duh. Even a dead woman would be attracted to the magnificent Edward.

Was she in love with him? Because that would be just too rich. He was so far above her. Is that why he was dating her in secret?

God, I hope we didn't have a quiz in Trig - Bella owed me answers. Inquiring minds had to know!

I gave her a look to let her know she'd have some questions to answer later and told her exactly when she'd be 'fessing up. "I guess I'll see you in Trig."

Bella looked uncertain. "Yeah, I'll see you then," she replied quietly.

As I walked away, I looked back over my shoulder a couple of times, hoping to catch them doing something revealing, like kissing or hugging. I really wanted to see Edward's goodbye to her. That would tell me a lot about their relationship.

And for the first time in my entire life, Trig class couldn't come fast enough.

* * *

**End Note:** Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think.


	3. Chapter 3 Trig Class

**Jessica's Phone Call **

**Chapter 3 – Trig Class**

* * *

_**Disclaimer**__: Many thanks to Stephenie Meyer for letting me play with her toys for a little while. I, of course, own nothing. They are all hers. _

_**Author's Note:**_ Please note that I wrote this piece before the release of the Midnight Sun draft. I still liked my piece enough to want to publish it. I hope you enjoy it too anyways.

Thank you, KlutzLikeBella, for your endless patience reading and re-reading these stories and for your awesome suggestions to make them better. I would be lost without you! You're amazing! Please check out KLB's stories - they are absolutely wonderful.

Thank you also BlondieakaRobin for your encouragement and help with this story.

**Author's Note 2:** I also wanted to say thank you for everyone who's reading this and especially to those of you who left a review. You guys surprise the heck out of me - I thought I was the only one who'd enjoy this part of the story from Jessica's POV!! You are so encouraging and I truly appreciate your kind words!

* * *

**Jessica's POV**

The first two periods of my morning had passed agonizingly slowly. I had spread the limited information I had about a possible Edward / Bella connection as well as I could, trying to showcase my insider knowledge. But I didn't want to commit to a statement until I could verify my facts a bit better. I didn't want to be proven wrong in public. What would that do to my reputation! So I made innuendos and comments designed to make it look as if I had more knowledge than I was sharing.

But I knew that my information was deeply lacking. It was all assumption and no confirmed dirt. I couldn't wait for Trig class when I could get _real_ info from Bella.

I got to Trig first and hurried to my usual seat at the back. I made sure to save a seat right next to me for Bella, to make sure she had no excuse to avoid me. She was _so_ going to spill.

When she finally walked into class, I was bouncing in my seat with excitement.

"Tell me everything!" I demanded as soon as Bella reached her desk.

"What do you want to know?" she asked cautiously as she slipped into her chair. From her tone I could tell she didn't want to share. I knew it! I knew there was a big secret here. I just had to work it out of her. I had to know what was going on between the two of them.

"What happed last night?" I started with an easy, general kind of question. Maybe her answer would reveal more if she wasn't sure how much I knew.

"He bought me dinner, and then he drove me home."

Oh, you've _got_ to be kidding me! Did she really think I'd buy that? There was _way _more to it than that. And heck, there was no way they'd had enough time to eat and get back to Forks in time for Bella to intercept my call to her father.

I decided to point out the most obvious flaw with her story. "How'd you get home so fast?"

"He drives like a maniac. It was terrifying."

She seemed truthful in her answer. Well, never mind, I'd come back to that point later. I went for her jugular with my next question – subtly of course. I didn't want to scare her into being quiet. I had to remain her confidante, after all. "Was it like a date – did you tell him to meet you there?"

She looked genuinely surprised at that idea and her cheeks flushed lightly at the thought. "No – I was _very_ surprised to see him there."

Damn. I could tell that was the truth. So she hadn't planned to meet him there. I pursed my lips as I thought this one through. They met – apparently accidentally – in Port Angeles and just happened to spend time together afterwards? No, that didn't make sense either. I was missing something. I hated missing things, but I knew I was more likely to get an answer if she wasn't thinking about the questions too much.

Changing tracks, I asked her about this morning. "But he picked you up for school today?"

"Yes – that was a surprise too. He noticed I didn't have a jacket last night," she offered as if that explained _Edward Freaking Cullen_ driving her to school this morning.

"So are you going out again?" I probed.

"He offered to drive me to Seattle Saturday because he thinks my truck isn't up to it – does that count?"

"Yes," I nodded, hiding my impatience. Of course, it counts, you idiot!! Edward Freaking Cullen in a car the whole freaking way to Seattle and back AND a whole freaking day with that god?! Yes it counts!!

"Well, then, yes," she answered quietly, as if it weren't that big a deal.

No way! There is simply no way anyone would believe this! It hadn't escaped my notice that Edward seemed to be the one asking Bella to spend time with him. _He_ had noticed she didn't have a jacket and _he_ offered to drive her to Seattle. No way! The untouchable Edward Cullen was chasing Bella Swan? Unbelievable! "W-O-W. Edward Cullen," I breathed. What the hell had she done to get him interested? Every girl in this school had tried and failed to catch his eye. What made plain Bella Swan so much better than the rest of us?

"I know," Bella looked a little dazed herself at the thought of Edward Cullen and her.

My jealousy ate at me. I was better than her. It should be _me_ going to Seattle with Edward. Strangely, I also felt a twinge of defeat that left me feeling a bit like a balloon in my chest was losing air. Winning Mike away from Bella didn't seem like the victory it had earlier, now that Edward Cullen was available.

I wondered how serious Bella and Edward were. Getting the scoop on this story would certainly make it clear to everyone that I knew everything that happened at this school – heck, in all of Forks! Perhaps I could even work this situation in my favor. Knowledge is, after all, power. Ewww . . . I was quoting Eric Yorkie now?

A sudden thought struck me. "Wait! Has he kissed you yet?" I demanded.

She looked deflated. "No, it's not like that."

Hunh. I could tell that was the truth also. I was disappointed. It would have made a great story to retell; Edward Cullen and 'kissing' in the same tale would be spellbinding. Maybe all wasn't lost. "Do you think Saturday . . . ?"

"I really doubt it," she didn't sound very happy about that at all. She was clearly disappointed by that thought. I couldn't blame her. A whole day with Edward Cullen and no kissing? I fought back my smirk. So close, yet so far. Maybe I still had a chance….

I was, however, left with a puzzle. What exactly was their relationship? Friends? Boyfriend / girlfriend? I needed to push for more information.

Just then Mr. Varner started to lecture. I ignored him and leaned over to Bella. "What did you guys talk about?" I whispered.

She hedged, pretending an interest in Mr. Varner's stupid ramblings. "I don't know, Jess, lots of stuff."

Seeing I wasn't pleased with her vague answer, she added "We talked about the English essay a little."

Is she kidding me? English essay?! Who cares! I want to know about their relationship. "Please, Bella, give me some details," I tried begging and shot her my best puppy dog eyes look. I needed some details to flesh out my story later. These little scraps of information she'd given me weren't enough to make for a good story.

My begging look worked as usual. "Well . . . okay, I've got one. You should have seen the waitress flirting with him – it was over the top. But he didn't pay any attention to her at all."

"That's a good sign. Was she pretty?"

"Very – and probably nineteen or twenty."

"Even better. He must like you." Does he? Answer me, Bella. How much do you two like each other? I need to know.

She flushed. "I _think_ so, but it's hard to tell. He's always so cryptic." She sighed.

What the heck does _that _mean? Well, she wasn't wrong about having a hard time reading Edward's thoughts. He defied even my extraordinary skills at reading people. Or maybe it was just the distraction of his gorgeous face. And chest. And shoulders. And that butt . . . my God, his butt. I couldn't think. And that was just the memory of him. I remembered how confused I got just being around him earlier this morning. I could only imagine what an evening with him would do to my thinking ability.

"I don't know how you're brave enough to be alone with him," I breathed, imagining how fried my brain would be if I were _alone _with Edward Freaking Cullen.

She looked shocked . . . and a bit scared. "Why?" she blurted.

"He's so . . . intimidating. I wouldn't know what to say to him," I admitted.

She looked strangely relieved before answering me. "I do have some trouble with incoherency when I'm around him."

"Oh well. He _is_ unbelievable gorgeous." So who cares if we can make conversation?

Bella surprised me by saying, almost as if she were defending him, "There's a lot more to him than that."

It was the first time in this conversation that she'd volunteered information. I'd be damned if I would let _that _go.

"Really? Like what?" I asked innocently.

She looked reluctant to explain herself now. It seemed her last statement had been a knee-jerk reaction. Interesting. She defended him instinctively. Well now, just how much did our Bella care for Edward?

Finally after hedging, she answered my question. "I can't explain it right . . . but he's even more unbelievable _behind_ the face."

What? More unbelievable _behind_ his face? I giggled. "Is that possible?"

She tried to make it look like Mr. Varner was revealing the secrets of the universe and that she had to pay attention to him. In other words, she was clearly trying to end this conversation. I wouldn't let her off the hook.

It sounded like she really liked him, but I wanted her to say it. "So you like him, then?" I pressed.

"Yes," she answered shortly.

Oh come on, Bella. I want more details than that! "I mean, do you _really_ like him?" I pressed harder for her answer.

A deep crimson blush spread across her cheeks. "Yes."

That blush told me what I wanted to know. But I wanted to hear her say it. I changed the question so it couldn't be answered with a simple yes or no. "How _much _do you like him?"

Impossibly, she blushed an even deeper shade of red. "Too much. More than he likes me. But I don't see how I can help that."

Well, that made sense. He was obviously too good for her. At least she seemed to know that. So enjoy the ride while you can, Bella, I have no doubt it'll end very suddenly and much more quickly than you think. I just hope I'm there to see it when it happens. Then I can be there to take your place once he gets tired of you. There's really nothing about you that could hold his attention, after all.

I was opening my mouth to ask Bella about her plans with Edward, when I was interrupted by Mr. Varner. "Miss Stanley, can you explain how you would find the coterminal angles in this example?"

I knew the answer to his question. And he knew that _I knew_ the answer. We'd been reviewing coterminal angles for two weeks already. He was just trying to stop our conversation. Well, fine, I'd talk more with Bella at lunch.

I spent the rest of the period deciding which questions to ask her once I had her cornered at lunch, with no teachers to interrupt us.

* * *

**End Note:** Thank you so much for reading! Please leave me a review to let me know what you thought of this!


	4. Chapter 4 Cafeteria

**Jessica's Phone Call **

**Chapter 4 – Cafeteria**

* * *

_**Disclaimer**__: I don't own Twilight, or Edward, or Carlisle. . . damn. Yes, I know Carlisle's not in this story, but it's never wrong to mention Carlisle!_

_**Author's Note:**_ Sorry for the delay in updating. RL has a way of getting overwhelming sometimes!

This is the last chapter of the piece. Thank you to everyone who's been following this story. You guys make my day!

As I said before, this story was conceived and written before the release of the Midnight Sun draft. I posted it anyways. My Jessica is a lot meaner than SM's, but I think she must be mean for Edward to dislike her so much. I hope you enjoy this take on her.

As always, a huge thanks goes to KlutzLikeBella. I'd be lost without her! KLB wrote an awesome Jasper and Alice story called "Battle Wounds". I highly suggest you check it out. She made me fall in love with Jasper!

* * *

**Jessica's POV**

I thought he would never shut up. Mr. Varner droned on and on, under the pretext of getting us ready for the review Trig test next week, but I think he just liked the sound of his own voice. I mean, how many ways could there be to say the same thing!

I used the time to decide how to get Bella talking about her date last night with Edward. There was too much I wanted to know, so much I _needed_ to know, and she was holding out on me. Frankly it was really annoying. After all, I had practically _introduced _them on her first day at school. She didn't even know his name until I told her! She owed me! I was the reason that plain Bella Swan had won gorgeous Edward Cullen!

Finally the bell rang, shutting Mr. Varner up mid-sentence.

I turned to Bella, ready to begin my next round of questions. I thought that if I implied a few wild accusations, that Bella might open up to deny them. I could learn a lot from the things she denied, especially because I knew I'd be able to tell when she was lying to me. It was time to implement phase two of my interrogation!

As I opened my mouth to speak, she said, "In English, Mike asked me if you said anything about Monday night."

What?! Oh, I forgot Bella and Mike had first period English together. Mike was asking about me? Excellent! I _knew _he had it bad for me! My Gawd, what had Bella said to him? Sometimes she could be so thick – I worried about how she had answered him.

"You're kidding!" I gasped, hiding my concern about what _exactly_ she said. She wasn't very smart about when it came to what guys were thinking and I worried that she might have ruined all my plans for Mike. "What did you say?!"

She smiled at me. "I told him you said you had a lot of fun – he looked pleased."

Ok, ok. Not too bad. But I needed more details to know for sure what he'd been thinking. Bella could be oblivious where guys were concerned, so I'd need more information to analyze this for myself.

"Tell me exactly what he said, and your exact answer!" I ordered.

Thankfully she didn't hold back on the details this time.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought back to Mike's exact words. "He asked if we enjoyed Port Angeles. I told him it was great and that you got a cute dress."

"You didn't tell him what it looked like, did you?" I gasped, horrified that she might have spoiled the surprise. I wanted Mile completely unprepared for how hot I would look the night of the dance. And if word got out about my dress, other girls might copy me. The girls at school were so envious of me.

I was just debating exchanging the dress for another, when she said lightly, "No, of course, I didn't tell him. I thought you'd want to surprise him." And she winked at me.

"Oh, good. So what'd he say then?"

"He asked if you had said anything about Monday night and I told him you had a really good time."

"Oh my God. How _exactly _did he ask that? What did his face look like? What tone of voice did he use? Was he excited, happy, bored - what?" I shot the questions at her like bullets – no, like a battlefield general. This was, after all, my battleground. I knew guys – how to get them, how to keep them, and what made them tick. This was my area of expertise.

As I guided Bella through my analysis, I could tell she was impressed at the amount of information I could get from the tiniest detail. Watch and learn, Bella!

We continued the careful dissection of Mike's thoughts and intentions through Spanish class in hushed whispers. Bella was obviously fascinated by my technique for deciphering hidden messages. I was happy that I was showing her the light. This was far more important for her to learn than Spanish. And I enjoyed playing the role of teacher. It was empowering.

I was also hoping to show her what type of information I needed about her relationship with Edward. It would be rude of her to hold back on the goods about that, especially after I told her everything about Mike. I had confided what he said, how he said it, what he probably meant by saying it, the meaning of his body language, how much he liked me and how far I'd be willing to let him go with me. _That's_ how friends acted! They talked. They shared. Bella really had a lot to learn about being a good friend.

When the bell rang for lunch, Bella leapt out of her seat. She grabbed her books and jammed them into her backpack. Wow. I'd never seen her want out of class so badly. She _must_ be meeting with Edward.

"You're not sitting with us today, are you?" I asked though the answer was obvious.

"I don't _think_ so," she hedged. Ugh, we weren't back to this tell-me-nothing attitude again, were we? She was going to drive me crazy! Had she learned nothing in the last hour?

She was finished packing up her things and I had to rush to keep up with her. There was no way I wouldn't be there to see if she was eating lunch with Edward or not. I'd be on her like white on rice until I had my answers; I wasn't letting her out of my sight. I would walk to the cafeteria with her. I refused to miss the look on her face when he either showed up or stood her up. Either way, it'd be entertaining.

I didn't have far to go for my answers though. Leaning against the wall right outside Spanish class was Edward Cullen. Wow. For the second time that day, he fried my brain. His grey sweater was stretched across his magnificent chest, emphasizing every rolling muscle. His long fingers were curled casually around his books. My brain flashed me a brief picture of the places I'd rather see his strong hands. God . . . can't . . . breathe . . . look away.

I tore my eyes back to his face, but was distracted again by his hair, which was in its usual careless disarray as if some girl had just been twisting her fingers through it while screaming his name. My heart was pounding as I quickly went through a list of the places I could drag him for some privacy – the janitor's closet, classroom 8A that no one used because of the leaky roof, out behind Building 4…

My fantasies were brought to a screeching halt when I realized he was staring at Bella. Even more importantly was _how _he was staring at her. His attention never wavered. He never looked away from her face no matter who passed in front of him in the hallway, and believe me, I saw a few girls try to get his attention as they passed him.

He looked at Bella like a dying man who'd just found redemption.

There was no doubt about it. My fried brain struggled with the conclusion it had reached. Edward Cullen was in love. My God – Edward Freaking Cullen was head-over-heels, desperately in love with Bella Swan.

Oh. My. God.

I was torn by this revelation. Part of me was upset that Edward was off the market. And it had happened so fast that there had been no time for me to act. How was I to know he would decide to finally take an interest in the girls at school? There had been no hint, no clue to allow me time to get close to him, to make sure I was his choice. The window of opportunity was obviously only open for a brief moment and I'd missed it. I pouted a bit about that. Then again, there was no way this would last. Bella Swan was plain and, quite frankly, not very interesting. And Edward was . . . well, Edward was a god. He was so far above her. He'd dump her in a week; maybe less if he got everything he wanted from her fast enough. She was so needy, he'd never be able to put up with her for longer than that. And if I played my cards right, I'd have a front row seat to see it. I'd be the first to know and then I'd be first in line to comfort him after the break-up. Yes, that would be perfect. And in the meantime, I had Mike – cute, sweet Mike.

So I decided to continue to be Bella's friend, her confidante. It just benefited me in so many ways. I just had to sit back and watch it all unfold.

Tearing my eyes off Edward, I looked over at Bella. She was flushed, short of breath and her eyes were glassy. Yeah, I'd feel that way too if _that_ man were looking at me that way.

I rolled my eyes at her in disbelief.

_You are _so_ going to tell me . . . every . . . last . . . detail, Bella_, I promised her mentally. "See you later, Bella." I told her to be sure she understood that I would be expecting details – great, gory, fascinating details.

-x-x-x-

I got my lunch and quickly sat down at our usual table. Angela, Lauren, and Mike sat down next. I was pleased when Mike chose to sit right next to me. I've obviously still got it!

Lauren was chattering pointlessly to Tyler as they sat down. I held up my hands to signal a stop to the conversation. Even people as the next table stopped talking to look at me.

"Remember what I told you this morning?" I asked archly.

At their blank stares, I rolled my eyes. "To keep your eyes on Edward Cullen and Bella today?" I used the tone of voice I usually saved for my stupid younger cousins.

At their looks of dawning understanding, I continued. "Well, keep your eyes on that door," I told them, pointing to the cafeteria doors. Saying "I told you so" had never felt this good.

Right on cue, Bella and Edward came through the doors. They were standing close together but not touching. I focused intently on deciphering their body language.

Edward led the way to the lunch line while Bella followed in his wake. As they moved through the lunch line, she looked uncomfortable and fidgeted with her jacket zipper. Edward couldn't keep his eyes off Bella. He looked like he was trying to read her body language too. I smirked to myself. It was so clear that they hadn't broken any physical barriers yet – not only had they not slept together last night, but clearly they hadn't even kissed yet. Their awkward lack of touching practically screamed the truth.

I was pleased. It proved my skill at reading people – I knew Bella wasn't lying in Trig class. More importantly, it showed that while I may not have touched the beautiful Edward Cullen, neither had Bella. She was no better off than me. I smirked to myself. And on top of that, I had Mike and would be kissing him (and maybe more than just kissing him) on Saturday!

But the grin slipped off my face when I remembered that Bella would be with Edward Saturday _all day_. Hunh. Lousy tramp.

I turned away from Edward and Bella to see Mike's concerned face. His blue eyes seemed to shine as he watched them. I wasn't worried, though. Mike couldn't still be interested in Bella, could he? Of course not.

I wiped the frown from my face and smiled seductively at him. "You look upset about something," I said to him, to bring his attention back to me. I also wanted to hear him admit that he thought Bella was pretty low, now that she was throwing herself at Edward.

.

He finally turned back to me. "What?" he asked confusedly.

"What are you thinking?" I asked him more bluntly, but softened my words by looking at him coyly from under my lashes.

"I was only trying to figure out what was so interesting about Cullen all of a sudden," he said.

Hm. Well that wasn't the reaction I was looking for, but at least he wasn't pining over Bella. It was time to get his focus back on me.

"Well, I'd much rather talk with you than think about them," I told him softly. This was really only a half-truth. I _did_ want to speak with Mike, but I also wanted to watch Bella and Edward. So as Mike chattered on about our History paper and making plans for this weekend, my eyes also followed Edward through the lunch line. He paid for both his and Bella's lunches. I noticed there was no discussion of this between them. He simply paid for it and she gave it no thought. Hmmm. That meant something. I stopped to analyze exactly what. I realized it spoke of a familiarity between them. They were communicating non-verbally, probably on a subconscious level. I didn't like it.

I watched them walk to the same table they had sat at before. Amy Gardiner and her cheerleader friends were sitting at the other end of the table. Amy's mouth dropped open when she noticed who had just sat down. _That's right, bitch. I told you Edward was going out with Bella,_ I snarled at her silently and made a mental note to rub her nose in that later.

Realizing that my competitive look might be showing on my face, I quickly changed it to a sweet smile and looked Mike in the eyes. I still wanted him to think I was spellbound by the boring small talk he was making. Well, to be fair, Mike's conversation wasn't boring and on any other day it would have fascinated me; it was just not as interesting as watching the Bella/Edward drama unfold at the other table. So I made interested sounds, like I was listening to Mike, and stealthily watched the action at the other table. I wished I were close enough to hear them. It seems I'd just have to make the best of reading their actions and body language, but I was very good at that. Bella was sitting with her back slightly turned towards me, but I had a clear view of Edward. And really who wouldn't rather watch Edward than Bella?

Edward pushed the lunch tray to Bella, obviously offering her the first choice of the food he'd bought. She picked up an apple, but played with it, rather than biting it. Hmm. Maybe she didn't want to look like a pig in front of him by eating anything except fruit. I could understand that.

They spoke briefly and he took a bite of the pizza. As I watched him eat, I realized I could watch that man and his mouth all day. Damn, he was sexy. My breathing was slightly erratic as I imagined what I'd rather he did with that mouth of his. I couldn't help but compare him to the boys at my table. I turned to glance down the table and saw Mike, Eric and Tyler all also eating. Ugh. Gross. They'd stuffed their mouths so full, their cheeks bulged. They looked like zoo animals eating – like a camel or something. I wrinkled my nose and returned to studying Edward.

Maybe if I gave Bella a breakdown of what Edward's body language said, Bella might be more willing to share other information – like exactly what happened last night. I smirked. Give a little, get a little.

Suddenly, Edward laughed. Wow. Bella made him laugh. I couldn't remember hearing him laugh before. What _kind_ of laugh was that though? I stopped to analyze it. He had sounded sincerely amused – no sarcasm, no suppressed irritation – just a genuine, relaxed laugh. I'd have to tell Bella later. Maybe I'd better convince her that he was laughing at her…. She might leave him alone sooner if she thought he was making fun of her by being with her. Maybe that's what this was—Edward dating Bella for some kind of bet or something. That had to be it. Edward would never really date her, but no man likes to lose a bet. I let my mind play with that for a moment before I remembered the way he was looking at her outside of Spanish. Damn it. That couldn't be the situation.

Just then, Edward's eyes snapped to mine. A shiver went down my spine. It was strange how the Cullens could be like that – one moment so beautiful it made your eyes hurt, then in the next moment, they seemed . . . different . . . no, that wasn't the right word. I struggled to find the right expression to describe the feeling they invoked. 'Dangerous' sprang to mind, but that made no sense.

I shook my head to clear the silly thought. Edward was beautiful. That's all that mattered. Beautiful people weren't dangerous. All the Cullens were beautiful. All the more proof that I belonged with them. I just had to play my cards right.

Edward's attention was drawn back to Bella, when she lifted his pizza and took a bite exactly where his mouth had just been. His eyes widened with surprise and even at this distance, I could see his breathing hitch. Even as annoyed as I was by his reaction, I had to admire her move. She'd played it well. By touching her lips to where his had just been, she had obviously sent his mind reeling down paths of where else he'd like to see her put her mouth. She was better at this than I thought. Damn her.

As they continued talking, I noticed that they gravitated towards each other. More than ever I regretted that I couldn't hear them; their conversation looked very intense. They were so wrapped up in each other that they seemed oblivious to the many eyes watching them. I thought Amy was about ready to get up and punch Bella. Well, ok, I was exaggerating, but she clearly wanted to tell Bella off. I wondered if she would. I also wondered if there was any benefit in encouraging Amy to express her jealousy later. What would happen if Amy blew up at Bella? I'd have to think about that. It was definitely something I wanted to see, though.

Between watching Bella and Edward, I also glanced around the lunchroom to see who else was watching them, as I had suggested before school this morning. To my delight, I found a large number of people were focused on them. Well, I hope they remembered that I had called it! I told them about this before they saw it with their own eyes. That's right – me! It was all _me_! I sat up a bit straighter and threw my shoulders back, feeling very good about myself. That is, until I caught sight of the guys at the jock table. They were watching too . . . wait a minute . . . they were watching _Bella_! And it seemed they liked what they saw!! No, no, no! This wasn't the way it was supposed to go! Edward was not supposed to be making _her_ look more attractive!

In absolute disgust, I put my mind to regaining the upper hand in this situation. I listened intently to try and hear what I could of Edward's words. I cursed under my breath when I still couldn't hear him or Bella. Damn, why'd they have to sit so far away! It wasn't fair.

Getting frustrated with trying to make out what they were talking about, I looked over to see what the other Cullens thought of Edward's defection to Bella's table.

I grinned wolfishly when I saw their reaction. My, oh my, they weren't happy, were they? I chuckled. Catching Mike's quick look my way, I composed myself and batted my eyes at him innocently. He smiled in confusion and turned back to listen to Eric.

I returned to studying the Cullens. Rosalie looked ready to kill. She was glaring at Edward and Bella and I could see her lips moving fast. Only Emmett's hand on her shoulder seemed to be keeping her in her chair. What I wouldn't give to be able to hear what she was saying! Or what Emmett was saying to calm her down. Maybe she was upset because Edward was dating outside of the family? Oh my god, imagine!

Jasper looked pissed too, but he wasn't speaking. He glared off into the distance away from the rest of his family. His lips were pressed tightly together like there was a lot he'd _like_ to say.

But he kept quiet. Probably for Alice's sake. She held his hand on the table and was obviously trying to make peace with both Jasper and Rosalie. I could tell by her expression and by her hand rubbing circles on the back of Jasper's hand that she was trying to calm him.

Then I suddenly remembered the fight I'd noticed earlier on their walk into school. Was Jasper angry about Edward or was he mad at Alice? Oh, it was too much to hope for!!! If Alice and Jasper were on the outs, then it was just possible that they were headed for a break up. Either way, he seemed even madder than he had this morning.

I reminded myself to keep my eye on that couple. Maybe Edward wouldn't be the only "Cullen" man to become available?

Hmmm. That raised an interesting question . . . which of the two foster brothers would I prefer if I could have either one?

Jasper was obviously the strong silent type. He was older than Edward (and therefore also older than me) and undoubtedly more _experienced._ His tall lanky body looked rock hard under his shirt. I licked my lips wondering what his skin would taste like . . . It was an effort to tear my eyes away from him.

And my attention drifted back to Edward like a moth to flame. Damn, he was gorgeous. It almost came as a shock every time I saw him, like my brain couldn't possibly remember his absolute perfection. My heart started hammering as I studied his unruly bronze hair, his strong hands, the lean muscles of his forearms that I could see where he had pushed up his sleeves, his sculpted chest that I could glimpse in the V of his grey sweater. . . Edward, definitely I'd pick Edward. He'd be my choice, hands down.

Mike bumped into me as he stood up. "Coming, Jess?"

What? I was slightly confused. Lunch was over already? I gathered my things, while Mike waited for me. It seemed oddly symbolic – Mike waiting for me, while I waited for Edward. It seemed right. Mike would do just fine until I got what I was waiting for. I would wait and watch and bide my time. Just as soon as Edward was free, I'd be there for him. He'd be mine then – all _mine._

I smiled up at Mike and let him lead me from the lunchroom.

* * *

**End Note**: And that is where I'll end this story. Jessica's path at this point in Twilight diverges from Bella's for a number of chapters and I'll leave her to pursue her own life. Besides there's only so much of Jessica's thinking that any of us can take!! LOL

Please let me know if you enjoyed the story from this POV and if this is the way you saw Jessica too. I'd love to hear your thoughts. :D


End file.
